Ina Garten’s 15-minute pasta is what I make when I need self-care

It's such a quick and delicious weeknight pasta.

Buttered noodles with cheese have been my go-to comfort food since I was old enough to make them myself. This dish carried me through ravenous afternoons in high school, Sunday scaries in college, and early days in the "real world," when it was all my budget allowed.

These days, I make it to nourish my kids on nights they aren’t feeling well, or when it’s all I can muster for dinner. It’s universally loved and endlessly comforting. Plus, it comes together in about 15 minutes, from start to finish, and requires just a handful of ingredients.

The grown-up version of buttered noodles is cacio e pepe, a Roman pasta made with Pecorino Romano and black pepper. I've made it many times, but never quite successfully. The cheese clumps instead of melting into a silky sauce, making the pot a nightmare to clean afterwards. That all changed when I found a cacio e pepe recipe from the one and only Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: This is not an authentic cacio e pepe recipe. She uses heavy cream, butter, and parsley, none of which are traditional. At first, I was hesitant—by nature, I’m a rule follower—but I quickly learned there’s a good reason for her rebellion.

Why You Need To Try Ina's Cacio e Pepe

Ina's version of cacio e pepe cooks pasta and tosses it with crushed black pepper, Pecorino Romano, butter, cream, parsley, and a little pasta water to create a smooth sauce. It's that simple.

Now, for the Ina magic. She takes advanced culinary techniques and makes simple tweaks that are accessible even to beginner cooks. In this case, a splash of cream and a knob of butter help the sauce emulsify without clumping, making it smooth, silky, and foolproof. The butter binds to the starch from the pasta water, creating a cohesive sauce, while the fat and protein in the cream are natural emulsifiers. The cheese melts right into the sauce without a dreaded clump in sight.

Read More: The 14 Best Ina Garten Recipes Ever, According to Food Editors

Tips for Making 15-Minute Cacio e Pepe

The remaining ingredients are true to the original: tagliatelle, whole black peppercorns, and freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Since the sauce relies on the starchiness of the pasta water, it’s imperative to use a high-quality pasta so it releases plenty of starch into the water, and the surface is slightly rough for the sauce to stick to.

As for the peppercorns, Ina instructs you to crush them with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, but I toasted them first for a little extra flavor. Once ground, I added a splash of hot pasta water to the pepper to help it bloom. I loved the heat this added, but if you are sensitive to the tingle of black pepper, I’d suggest skipping this step.

Ina's cacio e pepe is such a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight pasta. It took only 15 minutes with minimal prep. It was definitely too spicy for my kids, but if you cut back on the pepper, this is something the whole family will love. Or just make it for yourself—you deserve a little self-care, too.

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